1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a door structure for vehicles, having a door outer lining and a door inner lining. The door structure has a locking/closing mechanism with actuating elements on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. The locking/closing mechanism is connected to the door release via at least one transmission element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Studies of the consequences of traffic accidents and tests carried out on vehicles that have been involved in an accident have shown that the doors of the vehicle should remain closed in the event of a side impact or a side collision in spite of considerable deformation under certain circumstances. Doors that open automatically in the event of a crash involve, inter alia, the risk that occupants may be thrown out before the kinetic energies that occur in the vehicle involved in an accident have been able to dissipate. The tests and studies have shown that consequences generally are less serious if persons remain within the vehicle cell.
Closing devices for doors in vehicles generally comprise a locking/closing mechanism that can be released for opening the door via a transmission element, for example a Bowden cable or a linkage, arranged between the door outer lining and the door inner lining. The transmission element interacts with actuating elements arranged on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. To inhibit automatic opening of the door in the event of a crash, DE 10 2008 021 158 A1 discloses a further transmission means in addition to the transmission element provided for unlocking the door. The further transmission means renders the actual transmission element inoperable, for example by blocking, in the event of a crash. This mechanism disadvantageously has a relatively complex structure that is costly and heavy. In the case of correspondingly severe deformation of the door structure, satisfactory operation is no longer ensured on account of the complex structure of this mechanism.
DE 10 2005 049 144 A1 and EP 1 937 920 B1 disclose mechanisms that also are intended to inhibit undesired opening of the door in the event of a crash. These mechanisms operate with mass blocks that are intended to block the transmission element, for example a Bowden cable, by positional displacement as a result of its inertia. Both solutions known from the prior art propose integrating these mass blocks in the door handle itself and result in a very complex and expensive door handle construction.
The invention is based on the object of achieving absolute operational reliability with a construction that is a simple as possible and above all low weight.